An eight-year-old Missouri girl, Sydney Weston, tragically passed away following a medical crisis during a SkyWest Airlines flight. Sydney and her family were on a journey from Joplin, Missouri to Chicago, Illinois on Thursday, June 13, 2024 when she fell ill and lost consciousness roughly 45 minutes into the flight. This led to an emergency landing at Peoria International Airport in Illinois.
Paramedics were on the scene to initiate life-saving measures as soon as the plane landed. Despite their best efforts, Sydney had no pulse and was not breathing. She was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 8:05 a.m.
The flight crew’s quick actions were confirmed by Peoria County Sheriff Chris Watkins, who stated they provided aid immediately after Sydney’s family informed them of her condition. A SkyWest spokesperson thanked the crew and medical team for their prompt responses, stating, “We are grateful for our crew members’ swift response and the medical team who attended to the situation upon the aircraft’s arrival.”
An autopsy performed the following day did not indicate any signs of foul play, abuse, or neglect. Additional tests, including histology, biopsies, cultures, blood hematology, and chemistry, are anticipated to shed more light on the cause of Sydney’s death in four to six weeks’ time.
SkyWest Airlines, operating under United Express for this particular route, extended their condolences to Sydney’s family and recognized the efforts of the crew and medical personnel. They expressed, “Our thoughts are with the family during this difficult time.”
Sydney was on vacation with her family when the tragic event unfolded. Sheriff Watkins posted a message on Facebook asking the community to “keep the child’s family and everyone affected by this tragic event in your thoughts and prayers.”
Whitney and Dan Weston, along with their son Evan, expressed their profound grief in a statement, stating, “We are heartbroken by the immense loss of our beloved daughter.” They described Sydney as a “beam of sunshine with an infectious joy and boundless love for life” and requested privacy in their period of mourning.
This unfortunate incident has highlighted the importance of robust medical responses during flights. Despite being equipped with medical kits, addressing serious medical emergencies on a flight remains a significant challenge. The aviation industry is continually looking into ways to improve passenger safety and emergency readiness.
